My eyes opened like clockwork at 6am this morning, which is good but maybe not good enough for our upcoming island arrivals. I think I will set an alarm at 5:30am for tomorrow morning's arrival in Raiatea through Teavapiti Pass. It's a gorgeous one!
Third officer Emmanuel gave us the tour
Looking down at the ocean surface nine decks below
This morning, I read until G started to stir, and then we got cleaned up a bit for breakfast in Sabatinis (something about dining there compels us to be more presentable than for breakfasts elsewhere on the ship).
I will mention this here only because it is a fairly standard offering on Milestone Princess cruises (we had one on the Emerald Princess on our 50th cruise): at 9:30am we were to meet just outside the bridge for a bridge tour. As I've mentioned, there are 75th cruise perks, such as flowers, that we've not received because there is no florist on board; we've learned to never expect and are then delighted when things do come through, and this was a perfect example. And, as with our 50th cruise bridge tour, it's the act of simply being on the bridge that provides the biggest thrill. The view from up there; and the view from the bridge wings...amazing! Looking down through their glass floors is a bit like being on the Seawalk on the Royal Princess.
From there I went to Ramon's origami craft session, where I finished the box to match the lid I made last cruise. It is definitely not an easy project, and the entire thing must be assembled at the end in a process I've named 'and then a miracle happens'. Or Ramon comes around to save the day. Either term is appropriate.
I spent some time this morning and afternoon writing several thank you notes (using our personalized stationery!) but G pulled me away to look at the BIG! 75% off Pacific Princess logo wear from prior seasons. We have been sooo cold on the ship that G purchased an Alaska fleece pullover for $11.70 and I purchased a 50th anniversary World Cruise fleece pullover for $12.15...and we immediately put them on to go to lunch in the Club Restaurant. We both brought just one fleece with us, and they are currently in the laundry because they have been hard worn. If you'll be cruising on the Pacific Princess in the near future...you've been warned!
G went to a ukulele class while I finished the thank yous, and then he went to a hot tub to warm up. I relaxed on a lounger on the Promenade Deck while listening to an audiobook. We thought we had to be dressed for formal night #4 of the winter by 4:35pm for the Captains Circle party but then realized that the party wasn't until 7pm. All dressed up; we decided the place we wanted to go was to Deck 4 in the Reception Hall to listen to Douglas Pearson tell his tales of the South Pacific until it was time to go into dinner at 5:30pm. It was a great menu, but I only had escargot and lobster- and tiny cookies for dessert, of course- before we needed to get to the Cabaret Lounge for the Captains Circle party. We were doubly honored tonight for being this cruise's most traveled passengers but also for our 75th Princess cruise.
Production show singer Lanie Gullickson then performed a solo show backed by the Pacific Princess show band that had G reaching for my hand over and over and me in tears at one pointt. She is really quite amazing, and to hear her shine on her own is a real treat.
G atill has energy and is going to go back out for Lanie's second show and the champagne waterfall, but I am done for the night (wine with dinner as well as two Breeza Marinas deserve most of the blame but there's that 5:30am wake up tomorrow too...). Our plans tomorrow for Raiatea are totally in flex, but chances are they will involve some walking on terra firma for the first time in over five days and a stop at an ATM for French Polynesian Francs.
And then there's our wedding anniversary, celebrated at sea for the first time ever. How perfect is it that it is coinciding with our first French Polynesian port?!?
Life is good. :-)